Archives

Sacramental Information

Sacramental Records are kept in parishes. There is no central index. The archivist may be able to provide historical information about when parishes began and the missions that were attached to them. The sacramental records of the following parishes and institutions are kept at the Archives of the Diocese of Lansing, with the exceptions as listed:

Closed Parishes

Flint
St. Francis of Assisi records are found in the diocesan archives and cover the years 1949-1985.

Corunna
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary records are located at St. Paul’s Owosso (1857-1873)

Livingston County
Early Livingston County records (1843-1871) are located in Fenton at St. John Parish.

Merged Parishes
St. Joseph Hungarian parish merged in March of 1973 with Blessed Sacrament in Burton and the St. Joseph Records (1921-1973) are found in the diocesan archives.

Ypsilanti
St. Alexis and St. Ursula merged in January of 1994 and a new parish, Transfiguration, was created. The records of St. Alexis (1966-1994) and St. Ursula (1960-1994) and Transfiguration are at the diocesan archives. In 2009 Transfiguration merged with St. John the Baptist Ypsilanti. In July 2012, Most Holy Trinity Student Parish merged with St. John the Baptist parish. The student parish records are found at St. John the Baptist.

Change of Address
Flint/Burton - Holy Redeemer Parish founded in 1940 had a Flint address until the establishment of the City of Burton.

Hospital Records Lansing
St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing was sold to Sparrow Hospital. The St. Lawrence Hospital records, which were transferred to the archives, cover the Baptisms September 1936- February 1998 and Confirmations May 1947- November 1980, administered in danger of death.

Newman Center
Lansing and Olivet Newman Centers
The Newman Center, Olivet College and Lansing Community College had a combined register for Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion and Marriage, covering the dates January 1, 1974 - October 15, 1976. These records were transferred to the archives.

Sacramental Records Information & Guidelines

ACCESS TO SACRAMENTAL RECORDS

I. Mixed nature

A. Private and confidential at time of creation
B. Public because will stand in civil law as authentic if a civil record is non existent
C. Non public in that they are not open for inspection by anyone for any reason whatever

II. Right to own record

Every individual has a right to be issued an authentic certificate of his/her own sacramental records free of charge. The right is to be extended to parents for their children and guardians for their wards.

GUIDELINES FOR ACCESS TO REGISTERS

SACRAMENTAL RECORDS PRIOR TO 1940

Records that are prior to 1940, but not yet 90 years old, are not open to inspection by outside parties.

However, limited information may be provided to parties who can demonstrate a legitimate interest on the basis of a direct family or legal relationship. In such cases, an authenticated "transcript" of baptismal entries with notations of first communion and confirmation may be provided.

Other information is never to be revealed to outside parties without the written permission of the diocesan bishop or his delegate. This includes, for example, any notations of marriage, declarations of invalidity or dissolution of marriage, change of rite, sacred orders, laicization, entrance in a religious institution, dispensations from vows.

SACRAMENTAL RECORDS OLDER THAN 90 YEARS

1. Particular records older than 90 years may be inspected by an outside party with the permission of the pastor but only under these conditions, and without prejudice to 5.G.1.1. Parochial Registers in general, norm 3:

a. There must be a legitimate reason to inspect them in his judgment, such as historical, demographic, or personal family genealogical research.
b. The pastor must be present and supervise the inspection personally, or designate a person who has been trained in these norms to do so. There must be sufficient time to allocate to this personal supervision, and it should not be burdensome to normal parish activity.
c. No materials may be removed from the parish or church office for duplication or other reason. The pastor may arrange for their duplication at the parish or church office and charge a suitable fee for expenses, but he is not obliged to do so.
d. The records must not suffer damage due to inspection.
e. The suitable rights of privacy and reputation of living relatives must be protected.